O - Unbaptized publisher

Recognizable questions What does it mean to become an unbaptized publisher? Does that mean you’re already one of Jehovah’s Witnesses? Can a young child take this step? How much does a child understand about what that status means? What influence do parents, other children, and congregation members have? Why can the announcement in the congregation feel so special? What happens if someone is no longer recognized as an unbaptized publisher later on? And if baptism shouldn’t happen too early, when does the personal religious identity that comes before it actually begin? What is an unbaptized publisher? An unbaptized publisher is someone who has not yet been baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, but who is officially allowed to participate in the preaching work with the congregation. That can be an adult Bible student, but also a child growing up among Jehovah’s Witnesses. This is about more than going out in field service once with parents or friends. The person is recognized as a publisher and from that point on takes part personally in the congregation’s organized preaching work. From interested person to publisher Someone may attend meetings or receive Bible study for a long time without being an unbaptized publisher. According to Jehovah’s Witnesses’ own guidelines, someone who wants to take that next step must, among other things, believe what he is learning, want to talk to others about it, live by the religious standards, and want to become one of Jehovah’s Witnesses himself. Becoming an unbaptized publisher therefore means more than just: “I want to go preaching one time.” It also expresses: “I want to identify myself with this faith and make that known to others.” First a conversation with two elders Before someone is recognized as an unbaptized publisher, two elders speak with him or her. They assess whether the person understands enough about what he believes, whether his way of life matches the requirements, and whether he truly wants to participate in the preaching work himself. In the case of a child, age and understanding are taken into account. Not every topic has to be discussed with a young child in the same way as with an adult. The intention from the congregation’s point of view is that someone does not just become a publisher casually, but is sufficiently ready for it. Children can also become unbaptized publishers There is special JW material for parents and children about the goal of becoming an unbaptized publisher. The public material does not mention a fixed minimum age. The emphasis is more on understanding, conduct, spiritual progress, and the child’s own desire . A child does not yet need to have the same amount of knowledge as a baptized adult Jehovah’s Witness. That raises an important developmental question: How do you determine when a child understands enough not only to take part, but also to take on a personal religious position? For believing parents, this can be a beautiful moment From the perspective of parents who themselves are convinced Jehovah’s Witnesses, this step can bring a lot of joy. Their child has learned about Jehovah from an early age, attends the meetings, may give comments, goes out in field service, and begins to talk about his faith on his own. When the child then says: “I want to become an unbaptized publisher” that can feel to the parents like an important development: the faith is increasingly becoming the child’s own. That pride and joy can be entirely sincere. For the child, it can be just as real The child himself may also genuinely want this step. He may believe that Jehovah exists, that Paradise will come, and that people can be helped by the Bible’s message. Preaching can then feel like: “I know something important and I want to tell others about it.” Becoming an unbaptized publisher can moreover give the feeling: “Now I really get to take part.” That feeling does not have to be any less sincere just because the child grew up in a Jehovah’s Witness family. The announcement in the congregation When someone has participated for the first time as a new unbaptized publisher, a brief announcement is made to the congregation according to the organizational arrangement. That can be a special moment. Until then, someone may have been mainly: the child of a brother and sister or: someone receiving Bible study. Now the entire congregation hears that he or she has become an unbaptized publisher . What is formally a small announcement can therefore carry a lot of social and emotional meaning. Congratulations, cards, and attention After such a step, parents, relatives, or congregation members may react enthusiastically. A child may receive congratulations. In some congregations or families, cards are given or the spiritual step is otherwise given attention. That is not an official requirement and will not happen everywhere in the same way. For the child, though, it can make a strong impression: ‘They’re proud of me.’ ‘Everyone thinks this is great.’ ‘I’ve achieved something important.’ That can become a warm memory and strengthen the sense of belonging to the congregation. ‘Brother’ or ‘sister’ Within Jehovah’s Witnesses, an unbaptized publisher can also be counted as part of the congregation’s spiritual family and addressed as brother or sister . For a young child, such a change can stand out. At first, during a meeting, it may mainly hear its first name. Later it may hear: ‘brother…’ or: ‘sister…’ That is only one word, but words can affirm identity. The child may feel: ‘Now I really belong.’ A new title can give a boost People — especially children — are sensitive to recognition. When a new religious status is accompanied by compliments, attention, and a different form of address, that can provide extra motivation. That does not have to be deliberate influence. Congregation members may simply be sincerely happy about the child’s spiritual progress. Psychologically, something normal is happening at the same time: behavior and choices that bring appreciation and belonging can become more attractive. That is why religious conviction and social affirmation can exist side by side. Other children go before you A child also sees what peers are doing. An older brother becomes an unbaptized publisher. A friend from the congregation becomes one. Another child answers more and more, goes preaching, and is later baptized. Children learn not only because adults explain things. They also watch: What do children like me do? What steps apparently come with growing up? What are adults proud of? When several children in the congregation follow the same path, becoming an unbaptized publisher can start to feel like a very natural next step. Social influence is not the same as coercion That distinction is important. A child does not have to be forced in order to still be strongly influenced by its environment. All children are socialized. In a sports-minded family, competition can become important. In a musical family, music. In a religious family, faith. A child can therefore sincerely say: ‘I want this.’ while parents, friends, congregation members, and examples around it have helped shape what it wants . Sincere choice and social influence do not exclude each other. Congregation members can also encourage Sometimes a child is encouraged by congregation members to keep growing. That can be meant very kindly: ‘You’re doing so well.’ ‘Maybe you’ll soon become an unbaptized publisher too.’ ‘That would be wonderful.’ For one child, that feels like confidence: ‘They think I can do this.’ For another, the same remark may feel more like an expectation: ‘Apparently I’m supposed to do this soon.’ That is why an adult’s intention does not automatically say everything about how the child experiences the message. How safe does ‘not yet’ feel? When it comes to freedom of choice, the reaction to a yes is not the only interesting thing. The reaction to: ‘I don’t want to yet’ also tells us something. Can a child say it wants to wait? Is it allowed to have doubts? May it first do more research? Does the warmth remain the same when it does not take the same spiritual step as the other children? A parent may sincerely hope that their child chooses Jehovah and at the same time try to make clear: ‘You don’t have to do this for me.’ Precisely because the parent values the faith so highly, that can be a difficult balance. The conversation with the elders does not take place in a social vacuum When two elders speak with a child, the choice usually does not begin on that day. Before that, there are often years of: meetings, family worship, field service, Bible stories, prayers, videos, friends from the congregation, and conversations at home. The child has probably long learned what a spiritual goal is. It has seen other children take steps. Perhaps it received compliments when it answered or eagerly joined in the ministry. So the question is not only: ‘Did the child say yes of its own accord during the conversation?’ but also: ‘How was that desire formed in the years before?’ Compliments are part of the step In published organizational guidelines, elders are encouraged to commend a child when it has made sufficient spiritual progress to become an unbaptized publisher. It is also encouraged to keep baptism in mind as the next goal. From Jehovah’s Witnesses’ perspective, that makes sense: becoming an unbaptized publisher is seen as spiritual progress, and baptism ultimately as an important Christian step. For the child, that also creates a direction: this step is not necessarily the end point, but part of a development toward baptism. Becoming an unbaptized publisher is not baptism That distinction must remain clear. According to Jehovah’s Witnesses, baptism symbolizes that someone has personally dedicated themselves to Jehovah in prayer and wants to serve him permanently. Becoming an unbaptized publisher is not that dedication and also not a symbolic baptism. It would therefore be inaccurate to equate the two. But it is also not just ‘taking part a little’ On the other hand, the step does have real meaning. An unbaptized publisher: officially takes part in the preaching work, is recognized as a publisher, is announced to the congregation, and is registered in the organization as a publisher. In the current study material, being an unbaptized publisher is also among the requirements for someone who later wants to be ready for baptism. A more precise description is therefore: a public religious identity step that comes before baptism. When does ‘our faith’ become my faith? That makes a child’s development interesting. A young child may say: ‘We are Jehovah’s Witnesses.’ At first, that is often a family identity: this is who we are. Later it can become: ‘I am an unbaptized publisher.’ And later still: ‘I have dedicated myself to Jehovah and been baptized.’ In that way, religious identity gradually shifts from we to I . The question is not necessarily the exact moment that happens. More interesting is whether the child increasingly understands along the way: why do I believe this myself? Understanding is not the same as being able to grasp everything at once A child can very well explain: ‘I want to tell people about Jehovah.’ It can answer Bible questions correctly and truly believe what it says. Yet the ability to foresee future consequences, recognize social pressure, and examine an identity more independently from parents develops gradually. That does not mean children cannot make meaningful choices. It may, however, mean that age affects how broadly a child can anticipate the consequences of a choice . A child may be thinking mainly: ‘I’m allowed to preach now.’ An adult may also see: identity, expectations, reputation, future baptism, and the possibility of later changing one’s beliefs. What is and isn’t foreseen beforehand? That raises an important question. Before taking this step, does a child understand only: ‘I want to preach’ or also: ‘The congregation will now see me as a publisher.’ ‘Certain standards will be expected of me.’ ‘My religious status may change again later.’ ‘That can be announced to the congregation again.’ Not every possible future scenario needs to be explained to a child in detail. But the more important a decision becomes for its identity, the more relevant the question becomes how much of its meaning it truly understands. What if an unbaptized publisher does something seriously wrong? Unbaptized publishers are not in the same position as baptized Jehovah’s Witnesses. They therefore cannot be disfellowshipped in the same way. However, if an unbaptized publisher becomes involved in conduct that is regarded among Jehovah’s Witnesses as serious wrongdoing, two elders may try to help him. If, according to that religious assessment, he shows no repentance and no longer meets the requirements, he may stop being an unbaptized publisher. That change is announced as well In that case, the organizational arrangement provides for a brief announcement to the congregation that the person is no longer recognized as an unbaptized publisher . That is something different from the disfellowshipping of a baptized Jehovah’s Witness. Still, this change also has a public element. Earlier the congregation heard: this person is now an unbaptized publisher. Later it may hear: this person is no longer recognized as such. What can that do to a young person? That will vary from person to person. One person may just shrug it off. For someone else, it can mean a lot. Especially when the earlier status was tied to pride, compliments, belonging, and spiritual progress, losing that status can evoke feelings of: guilt , shame , disappointment , or the thought: “What will everyone think of me now?” That does not mean the announcement is intended to shame anyone. The distinction between intention and psychological effect is important. Guilt and shame are not the same Guilt is more about: “I did something wrong.” Shame can go further: “Something is wrong with me.” Religious correction can be experienced by one person as help to change behavior. Another may connect the same situation much more strongly to their worth as a person or their place in the group. For children and young people, it is therefore important to guard that distinction: behavior can be assessed without someone’s human worth disappearing. The same community that affirms you also sees your change There is a particular tension there. The social side of the congregation can be very positive: people know you, follow your development, are glad to have you, and encourage you. Precisely because of that, changes can also feel more visible. In an anonymous environment, almost no one notices when you stop doing an activity. In a close-knit community, a change in religious status can carry meaning more quickly. That is not necessarily good or bad. It is a feature of strong social connectedness: people know one another and notice changes. “But baptism is the big decision, isn’t it?” From the teaching perspective, that is correct. Baptism is the much more significant step. According to Jehovah’s Witnesses, it publicly shows that someone has personally dedicated themselves to Jehovah. That is why it is emphasized that someone should be old enough to understand what it means. But psychologically, identity does not begin on the day of baptism. There may be years of religious development leading up to it. If baptism should not be too early, what about the steps before it? That raises an interesting question. Suppose a child has for years before baptism: been an unbaptized publisher, told others about their faith, been seen in the congregation as spiritually growing, possibly been addressed as brother or sister, received praise, and been given baptism as the next goal. Formally, baptism has not yet taken place. But an important part of the religious identity may already have been formed. That is why two questions can exist side by side: “Was I old enough to get baptized?” and: “How old was I when I already began to identify myself personally as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses?” So is that some kind of pre-baptism? Not in a theological sense. Becoming an unbaptized publisher is, according to Jehovah’s Witnesses, not a dedication to God and not a substitute for baptism. But it is a step on the religious path toward that baptism . That distinction makes it possible to look at it with nuance: not the same as being baptized, but not without significance for identity and development either. A child can be fully convinced It would be too simplistic to assume that a young child becomes a publisher only to make their parents happy. Some children are deeply convinced, talk about Jehovah on their own, and want nothing more than to participate officially in preaching. Their faith experience deserves to be taken seriously. But even a strongly convinced child is still a child growing up within a social environment. The same applies to religious and non-religious beliefs alike. And a child may mainly want to please Other children are strongly focused on approval. They want to do well. Make their parents proud. Not disappoint the elders. Be as advanced as their friends. For such children, it can be harder to distinguish between: “I want this” and: “I want everyone to be happy with me.” That is why the question of freedom of choice is not the same for every child. What if the child later thinks differently? An important part of personal development is that beliefs can be reconsidered. A child may later become even more convinced that Jehovah’s Witnesses have the truth. They may also develop doubts or come to different conclusions. Independent inquiry does not have one predetermined correct outcome. The relevant question is: “May the belief I accepted as a child later be examined again by me myself?” Religious upbringing and autonomy do not have to be opposites A parent does not have to pass on their beliefs to a child in a neutral or value-free way. Almost no parent does that. You are allowed to explain what you believe. You are allowed to explain why it matters to you. You are allowed to feel happy when your child shares the same belief. At the same time, space for autonomy can mean: ‘I hope you choose this, but I also want it to truly become your choice.’ Those two desires can exist side by side. A possible test for freedom of choice Perhaps that is why freedom of choice is visible not only in the question: ‘Has the child themselves asked to become an unbaptized publisher?’ But also in questions such as: Can the child wait? Can the child ask critical questions? Can the child say they do not understand something? Can the child change their mind? Does love and appreciation remain if they do not move at the same pace as other children? And may research ultimately lead to a conclusion other than the one the surrounding environment hopes for? For active Jehovah’s Witnesses An active Jehovah’s Witness may especially see this as a beautiful, gradual development: a child learns about Jehovah, starts talking about their faith on their own, becomes an unbaptized publisher, and may later, when ready, choose baptism for themselves. That perspective deserves to be taken seriously. This article is not saying that a child who becomes an unbaptized publisher therefore has not made their own choice. It is exploring a subtler question: how do personal choices come about when faith, family, identity, and social belonging are all involved at the same time? For someone looking back later A former Jehovah’s Witness may, in hindsight, have very different feelings. ‘I wanted this myself and was incredibly proud.’ ‘I truly loved Jehovah.’ and perhaps at the same time: ‘I never considered that I could also have chosen not to go down that path.’ These memories do not have to exclude one another either. A choice may have been genuine at the time and still be reexamined later. Questions to reflect on What does becoming an unbaptized publisher mean besides being officially allowed to preach? How old was I when religion increasingly became my own identity? What did congratulations and recognition mean to me? Did I see other children as examples of what I too was supposed to achieve? How did people react when I made spiritual progress? How would they have reacted if I had said, ‘I’m not ready yet’? Did a ‘not yet’ feel just as safe as a ‘yes’? What consequences of the status could I truly grasp at that age? Did I know that the status could also change publicly again? Was my choice based mainly on faith, belonging, appreciation, or a combination of those? Could I ask questions myself about what I believed? Can a belief that was sincere in childhood later be reexamined? Can that reexamination lead both to staying and to a different belief? When did ‘our faith’ truly become ‘my faith’ for me? Summary An unbaptized publisher has not yet been baptized, but does hold an acknowledged religious position within the congregation. The person may officially take part in the preaching work and has indicated a desire to become one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Children can also take this step. For believing parents and children, that can be a beautiful moment: the child is making spiritual progress and beginning to take responsibility for their faith themselves. The step can also carry a lot of positive social meaning. An announcement in the congregation, congratulations, compliments, examples from other children, and the feeling of truly belonging to the spiritual family can mean a great deal to a child. That does not automatically mean the child is being forced. It does mean that choices are never separate from the environment in which they arise. The reverse also exists: when an unbaptized publisher no longer meets the religious requirements after serious wrongdoing and conversations, it can be publicly announced that they are no longer recognized as an unbaptized publisher. So becoming an unbaptized publisher is not baptism, but it is also not merely casually tagging along in the field ministry. It is better described as a public religious identity step before baptism . That is why these questions are important, too: ‘Does the child want this?’ and: ‘Do they understand what preaching involves?’ But also: ‘How much of the social and religious meaning of this step can they grasp at this age?’ And perhaps above all: ‘How free and informed is a child’s choice to become an unbaptized publisher when that step means not only being allowed to preach, but also gaining an identity, expectations, and a place within the congregation?’ ‘If we believe baptism should not happen too early, then when do we think a child is old enough to truly understand and choose the religious identity that comes before it?’ Sources JW.org - Am I Ready? - Happy Forever! JW.org - Become an Unbaptized Publisher - Become Jehovah’s Friend JW.org - Do Jehovah’s Witnesses Force Their Children to Follow Their Faith? JW.org - What Is Baptism? JW.org - Parents, Help Your Child Grow Toward Baptism Watchtower Online Library - Organized to Do Jehovah’s Will - Preachers of the Good News Watchtower Online Library - Teach Your Children to Praise Jehovah Watchtower Online Library - Maintain the Peace and Cleanliness of the Congregation Watchtower Online Library - publications on unbaptized publishers, children, and spiritual progress Developmental psychology literature on socialization, autonomy, social influence, and decision-making in children and adolescents See also in the A-Z Encyclopedia of Psychology G - Group identity - How does ‘who we are’ become part of who I am myself? I - Internalization - How can beliefs and norms from outside become part of your own inner voice? S - Social influence - How do others influence our choices without there needing to be coercion? S - Socialization - How do children learn which beliefs, values, and behaviors are important within their environment? Also read on ExJW.World D - Baptism - What does baptism mean, and how much should someone be able to understand and take in? G - Religious upbringing - How do children acquire faith, norms, and religious practices? V - Privileges - Why can religious duties feel like honor, responsibility, and burden at the same time? V - Free will - How free is a choice when family, faith, hope, and social consequences all play a role?